Cleaning agent for hard surfaces, containing glucanase

ABSTRACT

Agents for cleaning hard surfaces, such as crockery, containing a β-glucanase and compatible cleaning constituents, and having good cleaning effect on polysaccharide stains.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to compositions for cleaning hard surfaces, moreparticularly tableware, which contain β-glucanase to improve theircleaning performance.

Enzymes, especially proteases, lipases and amylases, are widely used inlaundry detergents, washing aids and dishwashing detergents. They areprimarily used to remove protein, fatty and starch soils.

In connection with polysaccharide soils, there is the problem thatnaturally occurring polysaccharides, for example as present in foods, donot normally consist solely of starch, but also contain othersaccharides or differently linked saccharides. Whereas α-amylasesintended for use in dishwashing detergents are generally very suitablefor hydrolyzing the starch component of polysaccharide soils intowater-soluble oligosaccharides, their soil removal capacity can beunsatisfactory when the soils in question are soils of otherpolysaccharides or when these other polysaccharides make up relativelylarge parts of the polysaccharide soils. Thus, unrefined or low-refinedcereals in particular, for example oat flakes, muesli, corn flakes orwhole grain dough, contain relatively large amounts of glucans andlichenans which lead to obstinate soils on tableware which has come intocontact with them.

The problem addressed by the present invention was to remedy thissituation and to provide a composition suitable for cleaning hardsurfaces, for example for cleaning tableware, particularly indishwashing machines, which would have an improved cleaning performancewith respect to polysaccharide soils.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, which is intended to solve the problem statedabove, relates to a composition suitable for cleaning hard surfaces,particularly tableware, which contains a β-glucanase in addition totypical ingredients compatible with this enzyme.

β-Glucanases in the context of the present invention are enzymes fromthe class of endo-1,3-1,4-β-D-glucan-4-glucanohydrolases (EC 3.2.1.73;lichenases). β-Glucanases in the context of the invention also includeendo-1,3-β-D-glucosidases (EC 3.2.1.39; laminarinases). β-Glu-canasescleave mixed glucans, which are linked alternately by 1,3- and1,4-β-glucoside bonds, into oligosaccharides. Polymeric mixed glucanssuch as these are present in varying amounts in virtually all cerealproducts. Hitherto, enzymes capable of cleaving them have been usedabove all in the food, beverage and animal feed industry, in the textileindustry and in the processing of starch (R. Borriss,“β-Glucan-spaltende Enzyme”, in H. Ruttloff: “Industrielle Enzyme”,Chapter 11.5, Behr's Verlag, Hamburg, 1994).

β-Glucanases suitable for use in accordance with the invention areobtainable from microorganisms, for example Achromobacter lunatus,Athrobacter luteus, Aspergillus aculeatus, Aspergillus niger, Bacillussubtilis, Disporotrichum dimorphosporum, Humicola insolens, Penicilliumemersonli, Penicillium funiculosum or Trichodenna reesei. A commercialproduct is marketed, for example, under the name of Cereflo®(manufacturer: Novo Nordisk A/S). Preferred β-Glucanases include anenzyme obtainable from Bacillus alkalophilus (DSM 9956) which is thesubject of hitherto unpublished German patent application DE 197 32 751.

β-Glucanase is preferably incorporated in compositions according to theinvention in such quantities that they have glucanolytic activities of0.05 U/g to 1 U/g and more particularly in the range from 0.06 U/g to0.25 U/g. The determination of the glucanolytic activity is based onmodifications of the process described by M. Lever in Anal. Biochem. 47(1972), 273-279 and Anal Biochem. 81 (1977), 21-27. A 0.5% by weightsolution of β-glucan (Sigma No. G6513) in 50 mM glycine buffer (pH 9.0)is used for this purpose. 250 μl of this solution are added to 250 μl ofa solution containing the agent to be tested for glucanolytic activityand incubated for 30 minutes at 40° C. 1.5 ml of a 1% by weight solutionof p-hydroxybenzoic acid hydrazide (PAHBAH) in 0.5 M NaOH, whichcontains 1 mM bismuth nitrate and 1 mM potassium sodium tartrate, arethen added, after which the solution is heated for 10 minutes to 70° C.After cooling (2 minutes/0° C.), the absorption at 410 nm is determinedagainst a blank value at room temperature (for example with a Uvikon®930 photometer) using a glucose calibration curve. The blank value is asolution which is prepared in the same way as the measuring solutionexcept that the glucan solution is added after the PAHBAH solution. 1 Ucorresponds to the quantity of enzyme which produces 1 μmole of glucoseper minute under these conditions.

The present invention also relates to the use of β-glucanase forremoving polysaccharide soils from hard surfaces, particularlytableware, and to a process for removing polysaccharide soils from hardsurfaces, particularly tableware, by using β-glucanase. For the useaccording to the invention and for the process according to theinvention, the β-glucanase may be applied to polysaccharide-soiledtableware either on its own or as part of a pretreatment composition inthe course of a pretreatment step preceding the dishwashing process.However, the β-glucanase is preferably used as part of an aqueouscleaning solution which may additionally contain typical ingredients ofcleaning or dishwashing liquors. Glucanolytic activities of 0.1 U/l to 6U/l and, more particularly, 0.15 U/l to 1.5 U/l in the aqueous cleaningsolution are preferred. In manual or more particularly machinedishwashing processes, for example in routine domestic washing-up usingdishwashing machines, the glucanolytic activities mentioned do not haveto be maintained over the entire washing cycle to achieve the requiredwashing result providing it is guaranteed that a glucanolytic activityin the range mentioned prevails for at least a short time, for examplefor about 1 to 20 minutes and more particularly 5 to 15 minutes.

β-Glucanase may be adsorbed onto supports and/or encapsulated inshell-forming substances to protect it against premature inactivation,particularly where it is used in particulate compositions as described,for example, in European patent EP 0 564 476 or in International patentapplications WO 94123005 for other enzymes.

Since the cleaning performance of amylolytic and β-glucanolytic enzymes,especially in dishwashing detergents, is unexpectedly increased whenthey are used in combination, a composition according to the inventionpreferably contains at least one amylase in addition to β-glucanase. Acomposition according to the invention is distinguished in particular byan amylolytic activity of about 0.5 U/g to about 3 U/g and, moreparticularly, in the range from about 1 U/g to about 2 U/g. The amylaseactivity is determined by a method similar to the standardarized methoddescribed above for the glucanase activity using soluble starch insteadof glucan.

Besides the β-glucanase used in accordance with the invention, thecompositions according to the invention—which may be present asgranules, powder-form or tablet-form solids, as homogeneous solutions orsuspensions—may in principle contain any known ingredients typicallyencountered in such compositions. More particularly, the detergentsaccording to the invention may contain builders, surfactants, bleachingagents based on organic and/or inorganic peroxygen compounds, bleachactivators, water-miscible organic solvents, additional enzymes,sequestering agents, electrolytes, pH regulators and/or otherauxiliaries, such as silver corrosion inhibitors, foam regulators anddyes and perfumes.

In addition, a composition according to the invention for cleaning hardsurfaces may contain abrasive ingredients, more especially from thegroup consisting of silica flours, wood flours, polymer powders, chalksand glass microbeads and mixtures thereof. Abrasives are present in thecompositions according to the invention in quantities of preferably notmore than 20% by weight and, more particularly, in quantities of 5% byweight to 15% by weight.

In principle, the water-soluble builder component of compositionsaccording to the invention may be selected from any of the builderstypically used in machine dishwashing detergents, for example alkalimetal phosphates which may be present in the form of their alkaline,neutral or acidic sodium or potassium salts. Examples of such alkalimetal phosphates are trisodium phosphate, tetrasodium diphosphate,disodium dihydrogen diphosphate, pentasodium triphosphate, so-calledsodium hexametaphosphate, oligomeric trisodium phosphate with degrees ofoligomerization of 5 to 1,000 and, more particularly, 5 to 50 and thecorresponding potassium salts and mixtures of sodium and potassiumsalts. They may be present in quantities of up to about 60% by weightand preferably between 5% by weight and 20% by weight, based on thedetergent as a whole. Other possible water-soluble builder componentsbesides polyphosphonic acids and phosphonatoalkyl carboxylates are, forexample, organic polymers of native or synthetic origin of thepolycarboxylate type which act as co-builders, particularly in hardwater areas. Examples of builders such as these are polyacrylic acidsand copolymers of maleic anhydride and acrylic acid and the sodium saltsof these polymeric acids. Commercially available products are, forexample, Sokalan® CP 5, CP 10 and PA 30 (BASF). The polymers of nativeorigin suitable as co-builders include, for example, the oxidizedstarches known, for example, from International patent application WO94/05762 and polyamino acids, such as polyglutamic acid or polyasparticacid. Other possible builder components are naturally occurringhydroxycarboxylic acids such as, for example, mono- anddihydroxysuccinic acid, □-hydroxypropionic acid and gluconic acid.Preferred organic builder components are the salts of citric acid, moreespecially sodium citrate. The sodium citrate used may be anhydroussodium citrate and is preferably trisodium citrate dihydrate. Trisodiumcitrate dihydrate may be used as a fine or coarse crystalline powder.The acids corresponding to the co-builder salts mentioned may also bepresent, depending on the pH value ultimately established in thedetergents according to the invention.

In one preferred embodiment, a machine dishwashing detergent accordingto the invention contains the usual alkali carriers, for example alkalimetal silicates, alkali metal carbonates and/or alkali metal hydrogencarbonates. The alkali carriers normally used include carbonates,hydrogen carbonates and alkali metal silicates with a molar SiO₂:M₂Oratio (M=alkali metal atom) of 1:1 to 2.5:1. Alkali metal silicates maybe present in quantities of up to 40% by weight, based on the detergentas a whole. However, the highly alkaline metasilicates are preferablynot used at all as alkali carriers. The alkali carrier system preferablyused in the compositions according to the invention is a mixture ofcarbonate and hydrogen carbonate, preferably sodium carbonate andhydrogen carbonate, which is present in a quantity of up to 50% byweight and preferably in quantity of 5% by weight to 40% by weight. Theratio of carbonate used to hydrogen carbonate used varies according tothe pH value ultimately required.

Another embodiment of compositions according to the invention contains20% by weight to 60% by weight of water-soluble organic builder, moreparticularly alkali metal citrate, 3% by weight to 20% by weight ofalkali metal carbonate and 5% by weight to 40% by weight of alkali metaldisilicate.

Suitable peroxygen compounds are, in particular, organic peracids orperacidic salts of organic acids, such as phthalimidopercaproic acid,perbenzoic acid or salts of diperdodecane diacid, hydrogen peroxide andinorganic salts which release hydrogen peroxide under the washingconditions, such as perborate, percarbonate and/or persilicate. Hydrogenperoxide can also be produced by an enzyme system, i.e. an oxidase andits substrate. If solid peroxygen compounds are to be used, they may beused in the form of powders or granules which may also be coated inknown manner. In a particularly preferred embodiment, alkali metalpercarbonate, alkali metal perborate monohydrate, alkali metal perboratetetrahydrate or hydrogen peroxide is used in the form of an aqueoussolution containing 3% by weight to 10% by weight of hydrogen peroxide.If a detergent according to the invention contains peroxygen compounds,the peroxygen compounds are present in quantities of preferably up to50% by weight and, more preferably, 5% by weight to 30% by weight. Theaddition of small quantities of known bleach stabilizers, for examplephosphonates, borates or metaborates and metasilicates and magnesiumsalts, such as magnesium sulfate, can be useful.

The bleach activators may be compounds which form aliphaticperoxocarboxylic acids containing preferably 1 to 10 carbon atoms andmore preferably 2 to 4 carbon atoms and/or optionally substitutedperbenzoic acid under perhydrolysis conditions. Substances bearing O-and/or N-acyl groups with the number of carbon atoms mentioned and/oroptionally substituted benzoyl groups are suitable. Preferred bleachactivators are polyacylated alkylenediamines, more particularlytetraacetyl ethylenediamine (TAED), acylated triazine derivatives, moreparticularly 1,5-diacetyl-2,4-dioxohexahydro-1,3,5-triazine (DADHT),acylated glycol-urils, more particularly tetraacetyl glycoluril (TAGU),N-acylimides, more particularly N-nonanoyl succinimide (NOSI), acylatedphenol sulfonates, more particularly n-nonanoyl orisononanoyloxybenzenesulfonate (n- or iso-NOBS), carboxylic anhydrides,more particularly phthalic anhydride, acylated polyhydric alcohols, moreparticularly triacetin, ethylene glycol diacetate,2,5-diacetoxy-2,5-dihydrofuran and the enol esters known from Germanpatent applications DE 196 16 693 and DE 196 16 767, acetylated sorbitoland mannitol and the mixtures thereof (SORMAN) described in Europeanpatent application EP 0 525 239, acylated sugar derivatives, moreparticularly pentaacetyl glucose (PAG), pentaacetyl fructose,tetraacetyl xylose and octaacetyl lactose, and acetylated, optionallyN-alkylated glucamine and gluconolactone, and/or N-acylated lactams, forexample N-benzoyl caprolactam, which are known from International patentapplications WO 94/27970, WO 94128102, WO 94/28103, WO 95/00626, WO95/14759 and WO 95/17498. The substituted hydrophilic acyl acetals knownfrom German patent application DE 196 16 769 and the acyl lactamsdescribed in German patent application DE 196 16 770 and inInternational patent application WO 95/14075 are also preferably used.The combinations of conventional bleach activators known from Germanpatent application DE 44 43 177 may also be used. Bleach activators suchas these are present in the usual quantities, preferably in quantitiesof 1% by weight to 10% by weight and more preferably in quantities of 2%by weight to 8% by weight, based on the detergent as a whole.

In addition to or instead of the conventional bleach activatorsmentioned above, the sulfonimines known from European patents EP 0 446982 and EP 0 453 003 and/or bleach-boosting transition metal salts ortransition metal complexes may also be present as so-called bleachcatalysts. Suitable transition metal compounds include, in particular,the manganese-, iron-, cobalt-, ruthenium- or molybdenum-salen complexesknown from German patent application DE 195 29 905 and the N-analogcompounds thereof known from German patent application DE 196 20 267,the manganese-, iron-, cobalt-, ruthenium- or molybdenum-carbonylcomplexes known from German patent application DE 195 36 082, themanganese, iron, cobalt, ruthenium, molybdenum, titanium, vanadium andcopper complexes with nitrogen-containing tripod ligands described inGerman patent application DE 196 05 688, the cobalt-, iron-, copper- andruthenium-amine complexes known from German patent application DE 196 20411, the manganese, copper and cobalt complexes described in Germanpatent application DE 44 16 438, the cobalt complexes described inEuropean patent application EP 0 272 030, the manganese complexes knownfrom European patent application EP 0 693 550, the manganese, iron,cobalt and copper complexes known from European patent EP 0 392 592, thecobalt complexes known from International patent applications WO96/23859, WO 96/23860 and 96/23861 and/or the manganese complexesdescribed in European patent EP 0 443 651 or in European patentapplications EP 0 458 397, EP 0 458 398, EP 0 549 271, EP 0 549 272, EP0 544 490 and EP 0 544 519. Combinations of bleach activators andtransition metal bleach catalysts are known, for example, from Germanpatent application DE 196 13 103 and from international patentapplication WO 95/27775. Bleach-boosting transition metal complexes,more particularly with the central atoms Mn, Fe, Co. Cu, Mo, V, Tiand/or Ru, are used in typical quantities, preferably in a quantity ofup to 1% by weight, more preferably in a quantity of 0.0025% by weightto 0.25% by weight and most preferably in a quantity of 0.01% by weightto 0.1% by weight, based on the detergent as a whole.

Surfactants, more especially low-foaming nonionic surfactants,optionally in admixture with anionic and/or zwitterionic surfactants,may also be added to the compositions according to the invention toimprove the removal of fatty-containing soils, as wetting agents andoptionally as granulation aids in the production of the detergents. Theymay be added in quantities of up to 10% by weight, preferably inquantities of up to 5% by weight and more preferably in quantities of0.5% by weight to 3% by weight. Extremely low-foaming compounds arenormally used, especially in machine dishwashing detergents. Suchcompounds are preferably C₁₂₋₁₈ alkyl polyethylene glycol polypropyleneglycol ethers containing up to 8 moles of ethylene oxide units and up to8 moles of propylene oxide units in the molecule. However, other knownlow-foaming nonionic surfactants may also be used, including for exampleC₁₂₋₁₈ alkyl polyethylene glycol polybutylene glycol ethers containingup to 8 moles of ethylene oxide units and up to 8 moles of butyleneoxide units in the molecule, end-capped alkyl polyalkylene glycol mixedethers and the foaming, but ecologically attractive C₈₋₁₄ alkylpolyglucosides with a degree of polymerization of about 1 to 4 (forexample APG® 225 and APG® 600 of Henkel KGaA) and/or C₁₂₋₁₄ alkylpolyethylene glycols containing 3 to 8 ethylene oxide units in themolecule. Surfactants from the glucamide family, for examplealkyl-N-methyl glucamides in which the alkyl moiety preferably emanatesfrom a C₆₋₁₄ fatty alcohol, are also suitable. In some case, thedescribed surfactants may also be advantageously used in the form ofmixtures, for example in the form of a mixture of alkyl polyglycosidewith fatty alcohol ethoxylates or a mixture of glucamide with alkylpolyglycosides. Suitable anionic surfactants are, in particular, soapsand those which contain sulfate or sulfonate groups with, preferably,alkali metal ions as cations. Suitable soaps are preferably the alkalimetal salts of saturated or unsaturated fatty acids containing 12 to 18carbon atoms. Fatty acids such as these may also be used innon-completely neutralized form. Suitable surfactants of the sulfatetype include the salts of sulfuric acid semiesters of fatty alcoholscontaining 12 to 18 carbon atoms and sulfation products of the nonionicsurfactants mentioned with a low degree of ethoxylation. Suitablesurfactants of the sulfonate type include linear alkyl benzenesulfonatescontaining 9 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety, alkanesulfonatescontaining 12 to 18 carbon atoms and olefin sulfonates containing 12 to18 carbon atoms, which are formed in the reaction of correspondingmonoolefins with sulfur trioxide, and α-sulfofatty acid esters which areformed in the sulfonation of fatty acid methyl or ethyl esters.

Enzymes suitable for use in the compositions besides the β-glucanasecrucial to the invention and the oxidase mentioned above are those fromthe class of proteases, lipases, cutinases, amylases, pullulanases andperoxidases and mixtures thereof, for example proteases, such as BLAP®,Optimase®, Opticlean®, Maxacal®, Maxapem®, Alcalase®, Esperase®,Savinase®, Durazym® and/or Purafect® OxP; amylases, such as Termamyl®,Amylase-LT®D, Maxamyl®, Duramyl® and/or Purafect®OxAm; lipases, such asLipolase®, Lipomax®, Lumafast® and/or Lipozym®. Enzymes obtained fromfungi or bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformnis,Streptomyces griseus, Humicola lanuginosa, Humicola insolens,Pseudomonas peudoalcaligenes or Pseudomonas cepacia are particularlysuitable. The additional enzymes optionally used may also be adsorbed tosupports and/or embedded in shell-forming materials for protectionagainst premature inactivation, for example as described in Europeanpatent 0 564 476 or in International patent application WO 94/23005.They are present in the compositions according to the invention inquantities of preferably up to 10% by weight and, more preferably, from0.05% by weight to 5% by weight, enzymes stabilized against oxidativedegradation, as known for example from International patent applicationsWO 94102597, WO 94/02618, WO 94/18314, WO 94/23053 or WO 95/07350, beingparticularly preferred. Proteases preferably used in compositionsaccording to the invention include the enzymes known from Internationalpatent applications WO 91/02792, WO 92/21760 and WO 95/23221.

Silver corrosion inhibitors may be used in dishwashing detergentsaccording to the invention to protect silverware against corrosion.Preferred silver corrosion inhibitors are organic sulfides, such ascystine and cysteine, dihydric or trihydric phenols, optionally alkyl-or aryl-substituted triazoles, such as benzotriazole, isocyanuric acid,manganese, titanium, zirconium, hafnium, cobalt or cerium salts and/orcomplexes in which the metals mentioned have the oxidation number II,III, IV, V or VI, depending on the metal.

If the compositions foam too vigorously in use, for example whereanionic surfactants are present, preferably up to 6% by weight and morepreferably about 0.5% by weight to 4% by weight of a foam-suppressingcompound, preferably from the group of silicone oils, mixtures ofsilicone oil and hydrophobicized silica, paraffins, paraffin/alcoholcombinations, hydrophobicized silica, bis-fatty acid amides and otherknown commercially available defoamers, may be added to them. Otheroptional ingredients in the detergents according to the invention are,for example, perfume oils.

The organic solvents suitable for use in the compositions according tothe invention, particularly where they are present in liquid orpaste-like form, include C₁₋₄ alcohols, more especially methanol,ethanol, isopropanol and tert. butanol, C₂₋₄ diols, more especiallyethylene glycol and propylene glycol, and mixtures thereof and ethersderived from the classes of compound mentioned. Water-miscible solventssuch as these are present in the compositions according to the inventionin quantities of preferably not more than 20% by weight and, morepreferably, between 1% by weight and 15% by weight.

To establish a desired pH value which is not spontaneously adjusted bythe mixture of the other components, the compositions according to theinvention may contain system-compatible and environmentally compatibleacids, more particularly citric acid, acetic acid, tartaric acid, malicacid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, succinic acid, glutaric acid and/oradipic acid and also mineral acids, more especially sulfuric acid, oralkli metal hydrogen sulfates, or bases, more especially ammonium oralkali metal hydroxides. pH regulators such as these are present in thecompositions according to the invention in quantities of preferably notmore than 10% by weight and, more preferably, between 0.5% by weight and6% by weight.

In one preferred embodiment, dishwashing detergents according to theinvention contain 30 to 60% by weight of sodium phosphate, 5% by weightto 25% by weight of sodium carbonate or a mixture thereof with polymericpolycarboxylate, 5% by weight to 15% by weight of sodium perborate orpercarbonate, 0.5% by weight to 7% by weight of a bleach activator whichreleases peroxocarboxylic acid under perhydrolysis conditions, 0.5% byweight to 7.5% by weight of surfactant, 2% by weight to 30% by weight ofsodium silicate and 0.1% by weight to 2% by weight of silver corrosioninhibitor, more particularly benzotriazole or a benzotriazolederivative.

Compositions according to the invention in the form of aqueous solutionsor other solutions containing typical solvents are prepared withparticular advantage simply by mixing the ingredients which may beintroduced into an automatic mixer either as such or in the form of asolution.

The compositions according to the invention are preferably present aspowder-form, granular or tablet-form preparations which may be producedby methods known per se, for example by mixing, granulating, rollercompacting and/or spray drying the heat-resistant components andsubsequently adding the more sensitive components, including inparticular enzymes and optionally bleaching agents.

To produce compositions according to the invention in the form oftablets, all the ingredients are preferably mixed together in a mixerand the resulting mixture is tabletted under pressures of 200·10⁵ Pa to1500·10⁵ Pa in conventional tablet presses, for example eccentricpresses or rotary presses. Fracture-resistant tablets which stilldissolve sufficiently quickly under in-use conditions and which haveflexural strengths of normally above 150 N are readily obtained in thisway. A tablet thus produced preferably weighs between 15 g and 40 g andmore preferably between 20 g and 30 g for a diameter of 35 mm to 40 mm.

Compositions according to the invention in the form of storage-stablefree-flowing powders and/or granules with high bulk densities of 800 to1000 g/l, which do not emit any dust, can be produced by mixing thebuilder components with at least part of the liquid components in afirst process step where the bulk density of this premix is increasedand subsequently combining the other ingredients of the composition,including the bleach catalyst, with the premix thus obtained, if desiredafter intermediate drying.

Dishwashing compositions according to the invention may be used both indomestic dishwashing machines and in institutional dishwashing machines.They are added either by hand or by means of suitable dispensers. Thein-use concentrations in the wash liquor are generally of the order of 1to 8 g/l and preferably in the range from 2 to 5 g/l.

A machine dishwashing program is generally augmented and terminated by afew rinse cycles with clear water after the main wash cycle and a finalrinse with a conventional rinse aid. After drying, completely clean andhygienically satisfactory tableware is obtained using compositionsaccording to the invention.

EXAMPLES

A machine dishwashing detergent (C1) containing 45 parts by weight ofsodium citrate, 5 parts by weight of sodium carbonate, 31 parts byweight of sodium hydrogen carbonate, 1 part by weight of proteasegranules and 2 parts by weight of amylase granules (Termamyl® 60 T), 2parts by weight of nonionic surfactant and 10 parts by weight of sodiumperborate monohydrate and 4 parts by weight of N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetylethy-lenediamine (TAED), a composition according to the invention (M1)which had the same composition as C1, but additionally contained 1.7parts by weight of Cereflo® 200 L, and another composition according tothe invention (M2) which, instead of Cereflo® 200 L, contained twice theactivity of β-glucanase from Bacillus alkalophilus (DSM 9956) weretested as follows:

Four plates soiled with standardized oat flake soils were washed in aMiele® G 575 dishwashing machine (doses of 25 g of each of thedetergents to be tested in the universal program, water hardness 14-16°dH, operating temperature 55° C.) and the removal of the soils (aftercoloring by the iodine/starch reaction) was visually evaluated on ascale of 0 (=unchanged, very heavy soiling) to 10 (=no visible soil).The scores awarded to detergents M1 and M2 according to the invention asshown in the following Table are significantly better than the scoreawarded to the comparison detergent C1.

TABLE 1 Scores for cleaning performance Detergent Cleaning performanceM1 8.3 M2 7.5 C1 6.5

It can be seen that the composition according to the invention issignificantly superior in its cleaning performance to the comparisoncomposition.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hard surface cleaner comprising a β-glucanasederived from Bacillus alkalophilus DSM 9956, said cleaner having aglucanolytic activity of 0.05 U/g to 1 U/g.
 2. The hard surface cleanerof claim 1, having a glucanolytic activity of 0.06 U/g to 0.5 U/g. 3.The hard surface cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an amylase. 4.The hard surface cleaner of claim 3, having an amylolytic activity of0.5 U/g to 3 U/g.
 5. The hard surface cleaner of claim 4, having anamylolytic activity of 1 U/g to 2 U/g.
 6. A dishwashing detergentcomposition comprising a β-glucanase derived from Bacillus alkalophilusDSM 9956, 20% to 60% by weight of a water soluble organic builder, 3% to20% by weight of an alkali metal carbonate, and 5% to 40% by weight ofan alkali metal disilicate, the composition having a glucanolyticactivity of 0.05 U/g to 1 U/g.
 7. The composition of claim 6, whereinthe water soluble organic builder is an alkali metal citrate.
 8. Thecomposition of claim 6, having a glucanolytic activity of 0.06 U/g to0.5 U/g.
 9. The composition of claim 6, further comprising an amylase.10. The composition of claim 9, having an amylolytic activity of 0.5 U/gto 3 U/g.
 11. The composition of claim 10, having an amylolytic activityof 1 U/g to 2 U/g.
 12. A dishwashing detergent composition comprising aβ-glucanase derived from Bacillus alkalophilus DSM 9956, 30% to 60% byweight of sodium phosphate, 5% to 25% by weight of sodium carbonate or amixture thereof with a polymeric polycarboxylate, 5% to 15% by weight ofsodium perborate, sodium percarbonate, or a mixture thereof, 0.5% byweight of a surfactant, 2% to 30% by weight of sodium silicate, and 0.1%to 2% by weight of a silver corrosion inhibitor, the composition havinga glucanolytic activity of 0.05 U/g to 2 U/g.
 13. The composition ofclaim 12, wherein the silver corrosion inhibitior is a benzotriazole ora derivative thereof.
 14. The composition of claim 12, having aglucanolytic activity of 0.06 U/g to 0.5 U/g.
 15. The composition ofclaim 12, further comprising an amylase.
 16. The composition of claim15, having an amylolytic activity of 0.5 U/g to 3 U/g.
 17. Thecomposition of claim 16, having an amylolytic activity of 1 U/g to 2U/g.